Struggling to Pistol Squat? Here’s How to Achieve It!

Master the Pistol Squat, Step by Step:

1. What’s the benefit of pistol squats?
2. What is the correct pistol squat technique?
3. Identify your pistol squat weakness
4. Easier Pistol Squat Variations
5. Mini Pistol Squat Home Workout

Pistol Squat Benefits

What’s the benefit of pistol squats, aside from looking cool? Training for a pistol squat gives you a clear, motivating reason to finally:

• Improve your ankle mobility
• Strengthen your hip flexors
• Deepen your squat (stronger quads here we come)
• Stretch your hamstrings

Suddenly, those “boring” exercises become way more motivating because you’re working toward a tangible goal!

You’re not just doing deep squats because they’re good for you — you’re unlocking a skill. Making it alot easier to stick with.

Plus, these lower body calisthenics gains carry over to other sports and activities — making it easier to climb steep mountains, making all single-leg balance easier (like skateboarding), increases your potential to run faster by strengthening your hip flexors (making it easier to lift your leg), and even helping you progress to more advanced calisthenics skills, like the dragon squat.

But honestly, my favourite benefit of training for pistol squats? How much easier it makes getting off the ground. It feels like a party trick every time.

So, if you’re looking for a functional, challenging, and rewarding goal — pistol squats are where it’s at. 👊

Pistol Squat Breakdown

The pistol squat requires a lot of end-range strength, mobility, single-leg balance, and quad strength. So, I’ll break down each component to inspect it individually. That way, you can identify your weak points, and thus what you should focus on. All too often, we base our training on what we’re good at, and not what we need to improve. To master the pistol squat, focus on the areas you’re weakest in.

In your training, you won’t just be working on the pistol squat directly. You’ll also incorporate drills to strengthen each component separately, making the pistol squat a heck of a lot easier.

Starting with the foundation of the pistol squat: You first need a solid, full-range narrow deep squat, working up to doing it with half your body weight.

1. Deep Narrow Squats

plStart your pistol squat training by focusing on achieving a deep narrow bodyweight squat.

To begin, limit the range of motion using a chair, and elevating your heels if you struggle with ankle mobility. Option to use a balance support when needed.

Focus on lowering straight down, feeling your quads working. Many beginners drop their chest to avoid using their quads in their squats — don’t make that mistake.

When your bodyweight deep squat starts to feels good, face a wall, getting your toes as close to it as possible, then perform your reps. The wall will force you to stay upright which is an added challenge.  Gradually get closer to the wall, while increasing your depth over time.

Once you can comfortably narrow squat to 90 degrees, start adding weight.

To match the strength demand of a pistol squat, aim to build up to a weighted narrow deep squat with about half your bodyweight added. For example, if you weigh 140 lbs, your goal should be to narrow squat 70 lbs.

I recommend working on your front loaded narrow deep squats. However, these are more challenging for most people, so feel free to start with back squats instead.

To Improve Your Deep Squats:

• Perform bodyweight deep squats as part of your dynamic warm-up every workout even if you’re not training legs that day. You can do this outside of your workouts as well (like on a work break or while watching tv).
• Focus on strengthening your squat with weight at least 2x a week, for 6–12 reps, for 3–4 sets.
• During your cool down each workout, and in your everyday life, perform variations of passive deep squats. Aka if you’re scrolling on your phone at night, try doing it in a deep squat to improve your passive range of motion.

2. Ankle Mobility for Pistol Squats

A pistol squat and a deep squat require a significant amount of ankle dorsiflexion, which is when we lift the foot upwards, towards our shins.

If your ankle can’t dorsiflex enough, your knee won’t move forward over your toes, making it harder to balance. This can also lead to other compensations, such as your knee collapsing inwards.

If this is you, elevate your heels during your squats to reduce the ankle mobility needed — just make sure to keep your weight evenly distributed across your foot rather than dumping into your toes. If a pistol squat with your heels flat on the ground is your goal, make sure to work on improving your dorsiflexion.

To Improve Your Ankle Mobility:

• Add dynamic barefoot ankle stretches to the start of every workout
• Include at least one ankle-strengthening drill (working through a full range of motion) twice a week such as extended rom calf raises
• Stretch your ankles at the end of each session — or during rest periods. If you’re adding the passive deep squats I previously mentioned, those will also help.
  

Tip: If ankle mobility is a big issue for you, take a look at your footwear. Many popular sneakers have elevated heels, which keeps your calves/achilles chronically shortened, thus reducing dorsiflexion over time. Consider gradually transitioning to barefoot shoes to promote natural ankle and foot function.

3. Hamstring Flexibility 

To extend your free-floating leg in a pistol squat, you need flexible hamstrings that allow you to fully straighten your leg. If they’re too tight, you won’t be able to achieve full knee extension.

First, let’s test your hamstring flexibility:

• Can you sit in a pistol squat-like position and lock your knee?
• How about in a pike stretch?
• Can you grab your foot in a pike stretch like you would in a regressed pistol squat?

If not, that’s something you need to work on.

To Improve Your Hamstring Flexiblity for Pistol Squats:

• Include dynamic hamstring stretches at the start of every workout
• Strengthen your hamstrings in a lengthened position — again, 2x a week is great
• Passively stretch your hamstrings at the end of every workout

5. Hip Flexor Strength

While stretching your hamstrings helps you straighten your leg, it’s your hip flexors that are responsible for lifting and holding that extended leg at a 90-degree angle during a pistol squat.

A simple way to test your hip flexor strength is to stand on one leg and lift the other straight out in front of you. Can you hold it parallel to the floor? And for how long? If you want to perform multiple pistol squats in a row, you’ll need enough strength and endurance to hold that leg out for at least 15 seconds.

To Improve Your Hip Flexor Strength for Pistol Squats:

The most straightforward way to strengthen your hip flexors is to perform seated or standing leg lifts, focusing on raises and holds near your end range.

If you’re looking to make the most out of your time at the gym, you can train your hip flexors in conjunction with other muscles, such as by doing hanging leg raises or raises on dip bars, or v-sits.

As a beginner, performing leg raises with straight legs is going to be tough, so bend your knees to make it easier. Slowly work on raising your legs higher while straightening them out over time. 

I personally train my hip flexors every workout, usually toward the end of my session before a cool down. I also use my hip flexors alot in my regular calisthenics workouts. 

Some days, I focus on endurance with high reps or long holds. Other days, I increase the difficulty with weighted seated leg lifts and perform shorter reps. You’re welcome to play with both. 

6. Single-Leg Balance

Include a few single-leg drills in your weekly routine to improve your ability to balance on one leg. You can train this directly by working on your assisted pistol squats or use other single leg exercises like curtsey lunges, shrimp squats, single leg deadlifts..etc. 

One of my favorite single-legged drills to improve your pistol squats are deep step-ups. Step-ups strengthen your quads while training your standing leg in the same position as a pistol squat — plus, they’ll improve your balance!

Summary:

•  Train the strength components we covered twice a week. Anywhere from 3–4 sets for 6–12 reps (Quads, hamstrings, hip flexors, and ankles).
• Start each workout with dynamic stretches to mobilize your hips, lengthen your hamstrings, and prep your ankles, it helps to work on spinal flexion as well (rounding your spine). 
• End every session with stretches that support the pistol squat (like a pike stretch, deep squat, and ankle stretch), holding each for at least 30 seconds

TIP: If you’re serious about getting your pistol squat quickly, practice a regressed version of a pistol squat at low intensity for 5 minutes at the start of every workout. Let’s go over the pistol squat regressions so you can get to practicing!

Mini Pistol Squat Follow Along Home Workout

Now, I know not everyone has access to a gym or wants to do full-length hour-long workouts, so I’ll take you through a mini pistol squat routine you can do from home.

I do recommend performing your weighted deep squats, step-ups, and all the other exercises we previously discussed as part of a proper gym routine. This is just a quick workout for those days when you’re short on time and equipment.

If you’re quite cold right now, start with 4 minutes of lower body cardio to raise your core temperature. This will loosen up your tendons, muscles, and fascia, making your body more receptive to what we’re about to do.

Beginners: I’ll be going through a bigger range of motion than you in this workout, and that’s okay. Use blocks or a chair to reduce your range, elevate your heels on a wedge, and have a balance support like a wall, chair or dip bar next to you to make the drills easier.

Let’s get into it.

Learn How to Pistol Squat Summary

To learn how to pistol squat, first learn the form so you know what you’re working towards, then identify your weaknesses so you know where to focus your time, add stretches to your workout routine that make the pistol squat easier, and directly practice a pistol squat regression until you can do a full rep. After that, you can move on to learning how to dragon squat. If you need help, check out my 8-Week Beginner Calisthenics Program. 

Home > How to Pistol Squat